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The saying 'History is written by the winners' is a key theme that Eiichiro Oda's epic author Eiichiro Oda has long integrated into the narrative. Legends often do not capture the full truth, even for the most powerful characters in this world's complex past. Kozuki Oden wasn't a foolish performer dancing through the roads of Wano Country; he behaved out of duty and conviction. Kuma wasn't a ruthless antagonist who tore apart the Straw Hat Pirates, as well; he was doing them a favor. Likewise, Davy Jones signified more than a pirate's game in search of flags and followers.

In installment #1164 of One Piece, we witness the peak of this theme. The entire God Valley narrative acts as a warning story, instructing audiences not to evaluate the characters too quickly.

Myths frequently do not capture the full truth, even for the most influential characters.

One Piece's most recent flashback, chronicling the Divine Isle incident, stands as one of the series' best storylines to now. Beyond the thrill of witnessing icons in their peak, it's compelling to see them prior to when they became symbols — when their reputation had still not outgrow their human nature. The past, as written by the World Government and retold through secondhand stories, shaped our understanding of figures like Gol D. Roger, Xebec, and including Garp. But both the regime's accounts and the narratives of those who knew them prove untrustworthy, showing only pieces of who these individuals really were.

The Individual Before the Legend

Gol D. Roger may have been driven by purpose and the daring spirit that ignited a new age of piracy, but prior to he was known as the Pirate King, he was a young man governed by emotion and the desire to explore. When people discuss his myth, they usually mean his second voyage, the epic quest in pursuit of the guide stones that lead to the final island. Yet little is understood about his first journey, the one that molded him prior to fame found him.

Back then, Gol D. Roger knew little of the globe's hidden history. His affection for Shakky guided him to the Divine Isle, where he discovered the World Government's most sinister realities: the extermination "games," the grotesque appearances of the Five Elders, and including the presence of the world's hidden sovereign, Imu. We are yet to witness Gol D. Roger's thoughts about everything happening in the Divine Isle, but maybe finding the son of a God's Knight on his ship will lead him to understand his role in the world and pursue the reality he caught a glimpse of from Xebec's situation.

The Reality About The Infamous Captain

Prior to this flashback, what we knew of Xebec came almost entirely from Sengoku's account, both to the viewers and to new Navy recruits. He depicted Xebec as a despicable, ambitious man determined to achieve global control, someone so threatening that Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp had to team up to defeat him. But as it transpires, Sengoku wasn't even there at God Valley; he was only echoing the World Government's approved narrative of events, the exact narrative the sovereign approved to bury the truth about Xebec and the incident itself.

In reality, The captain, whose real name was Davy D. Xebec, was a ethical man who aimed to overthrow Imu and dismantle the decadent Global Authority. We are unsure if he was motivated by ambition, revenge for his clan, or a wish for fairness, but when he found out the regime's plan to annihilate the land where his family resided, he abandoned his dreams of domination to rescue them.

This love for his relatives became his downfall. After confronting Imu, he forfeited his determination and liberty, becoming a marionette enslaved to their power. Currently, with what little awareness is left, he begs with Roger and Garp to kill him — believing that dying would be a mercy in contrast to the living hell he suffers. The reality of Rocks is thus far from the story told by Sengoku, and the manga shows him in a positive light during the Divine Isle events.

Could He Be Still Alive Today?

But was Rocks D. Xebec actually die? An interesting idea is that he is even now a slave to Imu in the current timeline, acting as The Man Marked By Flames, keeping the Global Authority's last Poneglyph in continuous movement to prevent the ultimate treasure from being discovered.

Garp's Hidden Defiance

Another protagonist of the Divine Isle incident is Garp, who has faced backlash from followers for years for standing by as Admiral Akainu murdered Portgas D. Ace. That sentiment became even more intense after the timeskip, when he risked all to save Koby at Pirate Island, leading many to wonder why he was unable to do the identical for his biological grandson. Comparable doubts have recently resurfaced with the God Valley recollection: how can Monkey D. Garp serve the Navy, aware the World Government treats genocide and slavery as entertainment for the upper class?

The truth reveals something different. The moment Monkey D. Garp saw the Gorosei's monstrous shapes, he struck without hesitation. His alliance with Roger was not meant to vanquish some villainous Rocks D. Xebec, but a courageous act of defiance, an attempt to halt the sovereign, who was using Rocks D. Xebec as a pawn to eliminate all in God Valley, even apparently, even the World Nobles themselves. This incident is probably the reason Garp detests the Celestial Dragons in the current era and why he not once wanted to be promoted to Admiral, reporting straight to them.

The Past's Unreliable Narrators

Even though the readers are viewing the God Valley incident through a recollection narrated by Loki, including perspectives and occurrences he obviously wasn't present for, I think we can consider this version as completely accurate. The series may offer an explanation later, maybe linked to the giant's yet unknown Devil Fruit. Still, the Divine Isle event perfectly exemplifies the notion that history is written by the winners. This attitude is {